


Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds: Dimensional Crisis

by Silver_Siren



Category: Final Fantasy XIV, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's
Genre: Characters have problems, Characters need cuddles, Dead characters brought back to life, Duel Monsters that are clones of characters, Duel Monsters that were once characters, F/F, F/M, Gen, Graphic Depictions of Transformations, Interdimensional fun, Lots of Allagan Tech, Lots of Magitek, crazy people
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-20
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-02-04 18:55:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12777357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silver_Siren/pseuds/Silver_Siren
Summary: They've saved the world twice now. They're enjoying a respite when Ruka discovers a new Champion that is cruel and ruthless, mistreating opponent and card alike. Her behavior angers Ruka, and with the aid of her friends, Ruka seeks to teach her a lesson. However, upon confronting her, things begin to quickly unravel, unveiling a horrendous plan that will involve not only Earth, but the Duel Monsters Spirit World and a parallel world that they didn't know about until this moment... now, the fate of these three worlds falls to a new set of heroes, backed by the heroes of before...





	1. The Crimson Raven

**Author's Note:**

> Some things to know before reading-I have made minor changes. One, I am mostly going to use terminology from the original version because fuck 4Kids and their over-censorship in the dub. Two, for Riding Duels, I have cut out the whole Speed Spell concept, and elected to have Spell Cards in Riding Duels just be normal Spells. There are too many original cards in this fic for me to try to figure out how to turn the Original Spell Cards into Speed Spells, and I don't get it anyways. I'm also not the best at writing Duels, so forgive me for my sins in advance. Also, there is an interesting concept that explains some OoCness that may be present. Enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new Champion has made herself known, Corvus Rubea, the ruthless, cruel, and just all-around mean-spirited lance-wielding, armor-clad woman who now dominates her home Circuit in Europe. Ruka is angered by the cruelty she demonstrates, but the young Signer knows that she doesn't have a prayer of taking down this black-hearted enigma of a woman alone. Little does she know the can of worms she is on the verge of opening...

Chapter 1: The Crimson Raven

_ “Finish him, my servant, Clockwork Bit!” _

 

_ A woman clad in an elaborate set of silver armor that covered her head to toe, with a silver Duel Disk that had whitish Card Zones, and a Halberd on her back ordered a small robot floating on her side of the field to attack her opponent directly. His Life Points drained to zero, and he fell to his knees as the announcer preached her victory. The woman walked closer to him, folded her arms, and a set of glowing red “eyes” seemed to glare at her defeated opponent. The young boy scooted back, and ran away as fast as he could manage. She scoffed, and walked off the field. _

* * *

 

”She's really scary…” 

 

“And beyond cruel! She treated both her opponent and her cards like they were trash!” 

 

Twins Rua and Ruka were watching television in their apartment, more specifically, a Duel that was part of a tournament in faraway Europe. While the defeated young man was nothing particularly extraordinary, the armor-clad woman was something else entirely. She was ruthless, and showed no mercy to those who opposed her. And yet, she was a massive enigma.

 

No one knew what she looked like under that armor. No one knew where she had come from. No one had ever seen a deck quite like hers. No one knew  _ anything  _ about her, really. Just that her name was Corvus Rubea, and her ruthlessness and cruelty had quickly earned her the title of “The Crimson Raven”. And neither of the twins watching liked her. 

 

While Rua was simply terrified of her seemingly-boundless cruelty, Ruka was furious at how she treated her cards. They were but tools to her, and either she could not hear their cries of pain (at least, the non-robotic ones), or she simply ignored them. And judging by the occasional glare in the general direction of some of them, it was the latter. And it only served to anger Ruka.

 

But how was she going to be able to confront such a powerful Duelist on equal ground, she thought. Every deck style that she’d faced, she could counter. Every opponent she faced, she crushed underneath her iron heel. And she carried an actual  _ halberd  _ on her back. An actual lethal weapon. 

 

What could she, a young child who only knew how to fight via Duel Monsters, possibly do against such a madwoman alone?

 

The answer was nothing.

 

She looked to her twin brother.

 

“Something needs to be done about her… but we can’t do it alone. We need to go ask Yusei and our friends to help us out!” 

 

Rua nodded, and smiled.

 

“Yeah! Let’s go!”

 

The twins got up, turned off the TV, and left.

* * *

 

“Are you two being serious right now?! There’s someone  _ that  _ crazy out there, and she’s a  _ Champion?!  _ What is the world coming to?!” 

 

Crow had been the one to make such an outburst. Jack, however, was unfazed.

 

“I’ve heard of her. They call her ‘The Crimson Raven’, but where she came from, who her parents are, how she came to Duel… she keeps her cards close to her chest, if you will. Godwin ensured I never would come face-to-face with Corvus-said that, even with how good I was, she had actual  _ powers  _ that were just too much of a risk. Of course, now I know it’s just because he didn’t want to lose his favorite puppet…” He said, growling at the end.

 

“Powers? Like my Psychic Dueling?” Aki questioned.

 

“Worse. Apparently, one time, half of her  _ city  _ was completely and totally  _ leveled  _ from  _ one  _ Monster attack. Took months to repair it all, and she didn’t give a rat’s ass about any of it.”

 

Ruka and Aki looked completely horrified at the revelation. 

 

“All the people she displaced and made homeless… all of the people and animals she hurt… all of the destruction she caused… and she didn’t even  _ care?!  _ That’s  _ horrible! _ ” Ruka exclaimed in disbelief. 

 

“There has to be a reason, or multiple reasons. No one is born that way.” Yusei pointed out.

 

“Figuring out those reasons might be enough to help take her down a peg or two! Let’s do it!” Crow agreed. 

 

“Hmph. And by ‘let’s’, you mean ‘Yusei, go and hack around the world to dig up anything you possibly can’.” Jack interjected.

 

“Not like you can hack either! What are you gonna do, huh?!” Crow fired back.

 

“I’m going to prepare myself incase she elects to come after me. I am another Champion, after all.” Jack said calmly, before turning and leaving.

 

“Jack has a point. We all need to ensure we’re at the top of our game, if she’s as powerful as he says. She could easily back us into a corner.” Yusei pointed out.

 

“Then we should all go home and do that. I’ll also talk to the Spirits and see if they know anything.” Ruka said. A few nods, and everyone remaining besides Yusei and Aki left. 

 

“Izoyai, what’s wrong?”

 

The former Rose looked down.

 

“I don’t know why, but I get the feeling she’s just like me. Someone who has powers, was rejected because of it, and now, someone’s manipulating and using her by offering her false love.”

 

“So, you feel bad for her. What do you want to do, Izoyai?”

 

“...I want to reach her. I want to help her. It might be a bit arrogant, but…”

 

“You want to save her. That’s not necessarily arrogant, if it’s for the right reasons.” 

 

“Thanks, Yusei. I’m going to go home and get ready for Corvus.”

 

“It’s not a problem. Good night, Izoyai.”

 

The former Black Rose left, and Yusei got to work.


	2. The Truth Behind The Raven (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corvus's cruelty becomes more and more apparent with how she treats a mere messenger, and how quick she is to form a devious plan to provoke the Signers. Everything is not as it seems, as Yusei's efforts uncover a dark truth behind Corvus and the reasons for her actions...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PARDON THE LARGE AMOUNT OF EXPOSITION INCOMING. AND THIS IS NOT ALL. Anyways, enjoy!

Chapter 2: The Truth Behind The Raven (Part 1)

It was the dead of night, in a lavish (though it was hard to see the details, given the dark hour and clouds obscuring the moon) apartment. The door creaked open, and a faint hint of light flashed in, before fading away. A man in a strange uniform walked in, before kneeling behind what could only be seen as the shadow of a menacing figure.

 

“Milady Corvus, I bear news… though, if I may be honest, I do not know if it is to be perceived as good or bad.”

 

Corvus huffed, arms folded.

 

“Then speak, and I will decide for your pathetic, incompetent arse, like I _always_ do.” She snapped.

 

“Y-Yes, milady. We discovered that the information servers had been breached this morning-”

 

Corvus growled. She turned, and a dark red aura surrounded her hand. A similar aura surrounded the man, and he began making choking noises as he was lifted up off the ground.

 

 _“Breached?_ **_BREACHED?!_ ** Our servers have _never_ been breached, once, and now, you tell me some little insect actually got **_IN?!_ ** ” She seethed, eyes glowing a furious crimson red.

 

“N-Nothing about Project Dalamud was taken, milady!” He rasped.

 

“Then what _was_ taken?” She demanded, voice venomous.

 

“A-According to the technicians… Your history was cloned and the cloned data was taken away.”

 

She snarled, and tossed the man to the side like a ragdoll, releasing him from the aura. He gagged and struggled to regain his breath, before looking up to find Corvus pointing her halberd right in his face.

 

“My history, you say? You mean that tiny little snippet that exists just to prove my identity? What could a thief hope to gain from that?”

 

“I… I don’t know. I’m just relaying what the technicians said.”

 

She hissed.

 

“Was the thief traced?”

 

“Y-Yes, milady, though it was not easy. He used several worldwide servers to try to throw us off.”

 

“Such a tried and useless tactic before my technology… What is his name?”

 

“Fudou Yusei, Captain of Team 5Ds.”

 

Corvus then began to chuckle.

 

“Yes, yes, the king of ‘bonds between friends as neverending power’ himself. Bearer of the Head Birthmark. No doubt he is trying to find something on me to use in a vain attempt to _reason_ with me, as if I’m that weak-hearted little plant bitch of his!”

 

She began to laugh.

 

“Oh, this is _far_ too perfect an opportunity to squander! I have been waiting for this moment! A chance to feast upon such a _divine_ source of Chaos Energy!”

 

“M-Milady?” The man wondered nervously.

 

“Get Draconis. Tell her to kidnap the twins, and send a ransom message to the others.”

 

“What would you like the message to say, milady?”

 

“‘If you want the twin brats safely returned, you will come to my city-all of you-and square off against my lady, the Crimson Raven Herself, Corvus Rubea. If any of you lose, you will be captured and taken hostage, just like the twins. If any of you manage to somehow _win_ against her, then all of your taken friends will be returned. Fail to comply at all, and the twins will be tortured until they either die or you finally see reason.’ Verbatim.”

 

“As you wish, milady.”

 

The man made himself scarce. A demonic smirk came across her face, revealed by moonlight that suddenly appeared.

 

“You will be mine… a sweet, heavenly source of power… Hehehehehe… AHAHAHAHAHHAHA!!” She laughed, and in her shadow, the shadow of a draconic woman could be seen for but a fleeting moment…

* * *

 

 _”She's gone and done_ **_WHAT?!”_ **

 

“We just got the ransom message this morning, Izoyai. There was video, and the twins are trapped in some sort of laboratory. I don't even want to think of what she's going to do to them…” Yusei explained, keeping calm, even though he himself was no less angry than the female on the other end.

 

 _“Still, don’t you think it’s kinda weird that she’s demanding Duels with us instead of money or something like that? And why even bother with taking hostages at all? It’s not like we have really had much to do as of late…”_ Crow wondered.

 

 _“Crow has a point. It_ **_is_ ** _odd. Perhaps she’s trying to provoke something out of us?”_ Jack proposed.

 

“Get something out of us…?”

 

 _“Huh? Is something wrong, Yusei?”_ Crow asked. The Head Signer sat down in front of another computer, and began typing away.

 

“When I hacked the servers a few nights ago, I used a technique that made it look like I took nothing, or at least nothing of significance. I couldn’t completely escape detection-her computers are light-years ahead of anything I’ve ever seen-but amongst other things that are beyond alarming, I found something that… well, even I’m not sure what to make of it.”

 

 **_“You’re_ ** _not sure what to make of it? How could such a thing_ **_possibly_ ** _exist?”_ Jack scoffed. Yusei rolled his eyes, but let it go.

 

“Apparently, her mother was researching some strange red-colored moon-like object called Dalamud. No one knows where it came from, but it gives off a powerful energy that was dubbed ‘Chaos Energy’ due to how unstable it apparently was.”

 

 _“That’s great and all, but what does that have to do with Corvus?! Also, how does it explain why she’d take the twins as_ **_hostages?!”_ ** Aki demanded, annoyed.

 

“Corvus wasn’t always as strong as we know her to be now-if anything, she was the exact opposite. Sickly and frail, couldn’t even walk a hallway without running out of breath. No medical treatment in existence was able to do much except keep Corvus alive. Her mother got really desperate…”

 

 _“And used this ‘Chaos Energy’ in hopes of healing her daughter and restoring her to proper health. Things didn’t go as she planned, though, did it?”_ Jack concluded.

 

“Precisely. The infusion of energy certainly saved Corvus’ life and restored her to health, but it also tampered with her Deck and drove her insane. It also apparently altered her body to such a degree that she has to absorb Chaos Energy to survive. And what the alien object generated quickly proved to not be enough.”

 

 _“That’s great and all, but what does all of this have to do with her, besides explaining_ **_why_ ** _she’s an absolute nutjob?”_ Crow asked, confused.

 

“Because another source of Chaos Energy is powerful emotions. Intense battles also generate it.”

 

 _“So_ **_that’s_ ** _why she Duels the way she does! She purposefully makes people hate her, fear her, or something like that, just so she can_ **_feed!_ ** _It’s practically foolproof-because it’s not just the Duelists she can feed off of, but the Duel Monsters themselves! It’s an all-you-can-eat buffet, and no one’s any the wiser because no one’s had the balls to hack her until now!”_ Crow concluded.

 

 _“And that would also explain why she had Rua and Ruka kidnapped. She_ **_knew_ ** _it would anger us. She_ **_knew_ ** _we’d come for her, wanting her to pay for it! Crushing us to demoralize the people of Neo Domino City would incite high levels of fear, and she’d have sustenance for_ **_days!_ ** _Not to mention taking out two of her strongest enemies with no effort on her part makes it even_ **_easier!_ ** _”_ Jack added.

 

 _“How pitiful… Even if she wasn’t completely insane, she doesn’t really have much choice! She either has to get people to make the Chaos Energy, or she starves to death!”_ Aki concluded.


	3. The Truth Behind The Raven (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Yusei's hacking having uncovered the truth behind Corvus, things become more urgent, including the mission to rescue the twins from her ruthless grasp. Things become even more complicated when one of her most loyal and fearsome servants interferes and forces one of the four into a Duel...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EXPOSITION, EXPOSITION. IT IS NEEDED. ALSO MUAHAHA I TROLL WITH CLIFFHANGERS.

Chapter 3: The Truth Behind The Raven (Part 2)

 _“Still, it doesn’t change the fact that the twins are in danger. There’s no telling what she’ll do to extract Chaos Energy from them… given what we’ve seen of her so far.”_ Jack reminded.

 

“She may seek to exploit Ruka’s link to the Spirit World as well… Her monsters seem to be weaponized, and I would imagine she’d just treat the other world as another place from which to feed…” Yusei added.

 

 _“It can’t be helped. We’ll have to go to her city and take her down. It won’t be easy, but we don’t have a choice… for the sake of the world, and her sake too…”_ Aki said. Jack, Crow, and Yusei all nodded in agreement.

 

 _“Let’s all meet at the airport tomorrow morning, ‘round eleven, and head on out!”_ Crow cheered, and another round of nods, before they all hung up. Yusei walked over to his bed, changed into his nightclothes, and crawled into bed.

 

This would be a challenge, undoubtedly.

* * *

 

Ruka cried out again as she was shocked, before suddenly, the pain ended. She looked around in horror, realizing that Corvus had gotten her wish-the Spirits had pulled her into their world to try to protect her from Corvus’ torturous experimentation. Said madwoman smirked underneath her helmet, clearly pleased at the result.

 

“I really should thank you, little girl. You’ve brought unto me an all-you-can-eat buffet!” She exclaimed. Ruka looked to the armor-clad Duelist in complete and total _shock._

 

“An all-you-can-eat buffet?! Don’t tell me you’re going to _eat_ the poor Spirits?!” She cried. Corvus _laughed._

 

“Eat the _Spirits?_ Why would I willingly destroy such eternal, neverending sources of sustenance? No, the Spirits will _live_ , little girl-forever giving me the Energy I need to live and breathe!” She told her. Ruka got up, and did her best to stare down Corvus.

 

“No Spirit in their right mind would _ever_ help _you!_ You’re cruel and ruthless and overall just a _monster!_ ” She snapped. Corvus turned her gaze to Ruka, before backhanding her with a degree of force, sending the young Signer flying a good few feet.

 

“Don’t presume to understand _me,_ **_brat._ ** You’ve had it easy your whole life!”

 

Ruka could do nothing but stare as Corvus began to deliver a monologue.

 

“When you were overwhelmed with what few responsibilities you had as a brat, you fled to this very realm!”

 

The green-haired girl yelped as Corvus sent a blast of red-colored energy at her, only protected from its full wrath by a barrier generated by her Mark.

 

“And when you were overwhelmed yet again, instead of growing up and facing the responsibilities head-on, you ran away _again!_ And yet, the Crimson Dragon chose _you_ , a pathetic _weakling_ , as one of its _Champions!_ Everyone _loves_ you!”

 

Corvus continued walking closer, drawing her halberd from her back...

 

“Everyone wants to be friends with _you!_ The crowds _scream_ for you! To them, you’re _bloody_ **_perfect!”_ **

 

Even though Ruka could not see her face, she could feel her anger, and tell she was snarling.

 

**_“SUFFER IN ENDLESS TORMENT!”_ **

 

Corvus aimed her halberd at Ruka, and soon, the young Signer found herself staring down what looked like a gun barrel-

 

**_“Milady, the other Signers have arrived! They have accepted your terms!”_ **

 

Corvus hissed, and turned towards the direction of the voice.

 

“Of course they’d arrive before I’d get a real chance at this brat…” She scoffed, before looking up.

 

“You deal with Fudou, Draconis-I’m not interested in wasting time with his mind games! Put the twins back in the lab, and continue the tests! I will crush the other three Signers, and after each one falls, perform the same tests on them as the twins!”

 

**_“As you wish, milady!”_ **

 

Corvus grinned demonically, and then, looked back towards Ruka. The young girl was mortified.

 

“Oh, don’t give me that look… your pathetic little friends will be joining you soon enough, and these Spirits will be brought into the future!”

 

Corvus laughed as both Signer and Champion were pulled back to the human realm...

* * *

 

“Where is she?! We came like she told us to!” Jack demanded loudly… only for a figure clad in elaborate black armor to land in front of the small troupe. Crow tensed and got into a fighting stance, ignoring the fact that, at the waist, there was a large black-and-gold “sword revolver”, holding three katanas.

 

“Get out of our way, man! We’ve got business to attend to, and it doesn’t involve you!” He told the figure. An echoing chuckle came forth from the figure, and the helm was removed… showing a beautiful, pale-skinned woman with long, golden-blonde hair, a strange pearl-like “birthmark” in the center of her forehead. She smiled, and opened her steel blue eyes. Crow’s mouth dropped open at the sight.

 

“Close your mouth, Signer. It’s rather unattractive, and it draws flies.” The woman scolded. Crow pointed and stared.

 

“Y-Y-You.. YOU’RE A GIRL?!” He stammered. She rolled her eyes.

 

“Is that such a surprise? You have _two_ female Duelists in your little group-granted, only one worth even _remotely_ taking seriously-and milady is… well, a lady… _and_ the Champion of this Circuit?” She questioned, mocking in her tone. Crow immediately returned to his previous anger.

 

“Hey! Both Ruka and Izoyai are good Duelists!”

 

She facepalmed.

 

“Ruka is a _child,_ and a pathetic _weakling_ at that… one who prefers to _run_ from her problems, instead of facing them head-on! Even if she _was_ the puppet of another, at least Izoyai proved to be _something_ of a challenge!”

 

“Why you-WHOA!”

 

Crow charged forward in an attempt to punch her, but she simply grabbed his fist, and threw him back.

 

“Hardly worth the air you consume… But I did not come here to waste my energy on a seemingly-literal birdbrain, Hogan.”

 

She turned to face Yusei, a subtle smirk coming across her face.

 

“Nay, I came here to test _your_ skills, _Fudou Yusei._ I would sample the Dueling skills of the man who has singlehandedly saved the world _twice_ now… and you _will_ indulge me.”

 

Before Yusei could even blink, she drew one of her katanas, and stabbed a nearby wall, separating the pair from the other Signers, leaving Aki, Jack, and Crow to do nothing but watch. Yusei, however, didn’t let the gesture threaten him.

 

“Don’t you think it’s rude to challenge someone to a Duel without even telling them your name?”

 

“Ah, yes, how inconsiderate of me… well, as if _manners_ **_matter_ ** on the field of battle… still, it is only fair, since I know yours. My name is Viridis Draconis, and it is the last name you will ever hear before you fall. Do your best to _entertain me,_ **_Signer._ ** ”

 

“I think it’s past time you were served a nice, warm slice of humble pie!”

 

Yusei pulled out his deck as Viridis drew her black-and-gold Duel Disk from the sword revolver’s center, Deck already loaded. Yusei pushed his Deck into his Disk as Viridis placed hers on her left arm, and both activated, synchronizing. Both Duelists drew five cards, Yusei maintaining calm seriousness, Viridis smirking evilly, while the other Signers got the unspoken cue and ran onwards to go confront Corvus.

 

**_“DUEL!”_ **


	4. Clash of Champions (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Separated from Yusei and Viridis, and with the twins held to ransom, the race is on for Aki, Crow, and Jack to overcome the Crimson Raven. With knowledge of her need to feed at hand, Jack is challenged first by the enigmatic Champion. She makes a strong start...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've never written a Duel before, so I apologize if these upcoming Duels are complete shit. Also, I am taking some liberties with canon character's Decks, as it is rarely completely listed out.

Chapter 4: Clash of Champions

Jack, Aki, and Crow ran onwards and upwards, reluctantly leaving Yusei to contend with the mysterious Viridis. It seemed like an eternity spent running to find the main target…

 

“Oi! Look! It’s Corvus!” Crow called out.

 

“And behind her! It’s the twins!” Aki added. Corvus looked down upon the three Signers, chuckling as she sat on a silvery throne, legs crossed.

 

“Ah, welcome, one and all… To the Royal Raven’s Palace!” She introduced, spreading her arms out wide. 

 

“Cut the bullshit! You don’t care about us at all-you just want to feed!” Jack snapped. Corvus slowly rose from her throne, the air getting tense.

 

“And just what do you know about me needing to  _ feed  _ as if I’m some filthy  _ beast?!”  _ She demanded.

 

“Yusei figured it all out! What your mom did to you, and what you have to do to survive because of it!” Jack replied, only to jump back and dodge a shot from the gun barrel attached to her spear. 

 

“Don’t act like you  _ know  _ me, you pretentious  _ brat!  _ The majority of your so-called  _ victories  _ are nothing more than elaborate rigged shows! I could crush you right here, right now!” She snapped. 

 

“Jack Atlas doesn’t back down from any challenge-not now, not ever!” 

 

“Let’s see if your bite matches your bark!” 

 

Jack pulled out his Deck and slid it into his Duel Disk, activating it. Corvus’ Disk unfolded from her left forearm gauntlet, and she pulled her Deck from a concealed case in the left waist “petal” of the elaborate armor she wore, slotting it in. 

 

**_“DUEL!”_ **

 

**_Jack Atlas Life Points: 4000_ **

**_Corvus Rubea Life Points: 4000_ **

 

Each Duelist drew their respective five cards.

 

“The  _ true  _ Champion-who is also a lady-shall go first.” Corvus said. Crow scoffed.

 

“Geez, and I thought  _ Jack  _ was cocky!” He muttered. Corvus drew, and then turned to Jack. She looked to Jack, a slight smile tugging at her lips.

 

“Tell me, so-called  _ Champion  _ of Neo Domino City… Have you ever borne witness to the might of the Allagan Empire?” She asked.

 

“Never even  _ heard  _ of it until now!” He fired back. She chuckled.

 

“Then allow me to introduce you to some of what they left behind…”

 

She took a card from her hand.

 

“One of their biggest achievements was their machines. They created advanced devices for anything and everything. And one of their most remarkable creations is a floating city…”

 

The Field Spell section of her Duel Disk opened, and she placed a card Jack didn’t recognize in it. Suddenly, the laboratory transformed into a futuristic area, and when the King looked around, he was quick to realize that he was indeed standing on a floating island. 

 

“Welcome to the flagship of Allag-Azys Lla!” 

 

He stared, awestruck. It was so varied, so  _ different…  _ So many things were there... And it didn’t look any worse for wear. Off to one side, dragons flew through the sky, and in another, futuristic robots were wandering about. He could see odd-looking structures off in the distance. 

 

“Impressive, isn’t it? It floats, powered by aetherochemical technology, without any need for finite resources. In one area, you might find marvels of their mechanical prowess, and in another, you’ll find examples of their bioengineered creations… There was very little Allag  _ wasn’t  _ capable of, if we are to be truthful.” She said. Jack then looked confused.

 

“If Allag was so great, then why isn’t it around anymore?” He asked.

 

“It never  _ died,  _ if that’s what you’re attempting to  _ imply.  _ Remnants of it still exist… just simply on another world, where it hails from. And in the right hands, anything can happen!” She explained.

 

“So, it’s in your hands, clearly… what do you want to do with it?” He asked. She didn’t waver.

 

“If you want to know  _ that,  _ you’ll have to beat it out of me.”

 

“Then take your turn already so I can do just that!” 

 

“If you’re so eager for me to expedite your humiliation, then far be it from me to say no.”

 

She took a card from her hand, and turned it, revealing that it was a Monster card.

 

“Azys Lla is host to many research facilities. Now, I do have those facilities as separate Spell Cards, but I have no need of them, since ‘Azys Lla’ is treated as those facilities in a Duel as well. And one of those facilities is the ‘Fractal Continuum’, so therefore, I am allowed to Special Summon this little creature!”

 

What looked like a giant praying mantis, covered in silvery plating and blue neon light patterns appeared. It seemed to squirm a bit, and Ruka (who was watching from within her tube) looked at the creature in pity. It was miserable, clearly, though why it was suffering was unknown to the twin. And yet, Corvus did not seem to care one bit. She then took another card from her hand.

 

“‘Tis one of Allag’s bioweapons-granted, one that was designed to be mass-produced, so therefore it is not as strong as some other Monsters in my Deck… But you don’t need to wait much longer. To me, Electric Node!”

 

A strange little black sphere appeared, beeping a bit. She then gave a devious, confident, almost  _ evil  _ look to Jack. The node floated upwards, bringing the insectoid with it. Much to the Signers’ shared shock, it burst into two Synchro Rings, and the insectoid became five spheres of light.

 

“Unbelievable! It’s only her first turn, and she’s  _ already  _ Synchro Summoning?! How?!” Crow demanded. She barely looked in his direction, instead beginning to chant.

 

_ “Ye daughter of the Dreadwyrm, heed the call of your mistress and submit to my will! Crush my enemies and teach them their mistake! Rend them asunder, High Allagan Dragon-Twintania!”  _

 

As she finished, a large, black dragon with no forelimbs and reddish wing membranes landed on the ground, a large collar that looked unnatural wrapped around its neck. It lowered its head, seemingly relieved that it was no longer having to bear the weight of the collar. 

 

“And as for your stupid question… because I am simply that  _ good.  _ I am undefeated because I am simply that strong,  _ not  _ because my opponents were paid to lose.” 

 

Jack growled-how dare she remind him of that-but at her devious look, he forced himself to calm down. She said that on purpose… she was  _ deliberately  _ trying to provoke a reaction out of him so she could feed-

 

“What? A mere  _ growl  _ is all you give me in response? Are you  _ accepting  _ of the fact you’re a fraud?” She taunted. Jack shook his head.

 

“No. I’m just not falling for your cheap tricks.” He told her. This seemed to anger her quite a bit, as she clenched her fist.

 

_ “Cheap tricks?  _ **_Cheap tricks? CHEAP TRICKS?!_ ** You have  **_no_ ** business telling me I employ  **_cheap tricks_ ** to win!” She scolded, slashing her hand out sideways. He shook his head.

 

“I’m not talking about  _ winning _ , Corvus. I’m talking about your need to  _ feed. _ ” 

 

That only served to anger her further, but Jack looked down.

 

“Yusei played your techs. He figured out the real reason for everything-WHOA!”

 

“Jack!”

 

She had drawn her gunhalberd in mere seconds, and shot at Jack’s feet. 

 

“Consider that your  _ warning,  _ **_imbecile._ ** Act like you know me again… and you are  _ finished. _ ” 

 

Jack scowled, but recovered anyways. 

 

“I equip Twintania with Defense Node, and end my turn.” 

 

A small black sphere appeared besides Twintania. The dragon looked to Ruka, and mouthed one thing.

  
_Save our mistress, please… Save her from herself._


	5. Clash of Champions (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack's Duel with Corvus continues...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still more of my shitty-ass Duel writing... Relax, I haven't forgotten about Viridis and Yusei yet.

Chapter 5: Clash of Champions (Part 2)

Ruka blinked. 

 

_ Save her from herself? What is Twintania talking about? _

 

“Do your best to  _ entertain me,  _ **_Signer,_ ** and I may grant you  _ mercy…  _ Heh.”

 

He had a bad feeling about what her definition of “mercy” was, and had no intention of surrendering to her. Still, Synchro Summoning on her first turn, as well as playing the Field Spell and being able to Equip something to the dragon… not to mention he didn’t know anything about her Deck… He knew he was at a disadvantage, even if his Life Points  _ were  _ full. He could only play the way he knew to play, and hope it was enough to overcome her. 

 

Jack drew, and looked at Twintania’s ATK. 2800, barely less than Red Demon’s. If he could get Red Demon’s out, he could at least make a dent in her Life Points, provided the Equip card didn’t interfere. He silently hoped that he could put the suffering dragon out of its misery.

 

“Since you have Twintania out on the field and I have nothing, I can Special Summon Vice Dragon from my hand!”

 

The purplish dragon appeared. Corvus simply narrowed her gaze.

 

“That little thing’s ATK and DEF are halved when you Summon it that way…. Oh, I do believe I know where this is going!” She concluded.

 

“Next, I summon Clock Resonator from my hand!”

 

Corvus smirked.

 

“How right I am… Ah, I suppose that a man so driven by power knows no other way to play…” She mused. Clock Resonator turned into three Synchro Rings, with Vice Dragon becoming five lights.

 

“The ruler’s heartbeat will now file through here! Take witness to its creation-shaking power! Synchro Summon! My very soul, Red Daemon's Dragon!”

 

The legendary dragon burst forth from fire, roaring as it appeared. Corvus shrugged her shoulders.

 

“So  _ very  _ predictable of you, Jack Atlas. And so very  _ boring.  _ I said  _ entertain  _ me. Do something  _ different.  _ Something  _ unique. _ Something  _ besides  _ your usual tactic of summoning your Dragon and attacking until you can’t anymore.  _ Surely  _ you have the capacity to do that?” She droned, boredom in her tone. Jack scoffed.

 

“Says the woman who has the Monster with the lower ATK points! Go and put the poor creature out of its misery! Absolute Powerforce!”

 

Corvus watched calmly as the fire-covered claw of Red Daemon's Dragon came for Twintania. An explosion occurred… but as the flames faded, it was revealed that Twintania still stood.

 

**_Jack Atlas Life Points: 4000_ **

**_Corvus Rubea Life Points: 3800_ **

 

“What?! How?! Red Daemon’s Dragon is stronger!” Jack insisted. Corvus laughed, and that was when Jack noticed that the Node was in front of Twintania.

 

“Any Monster Equipped with Defense Node cannot be destroyed via battle. Still, you managed to scratch my Life Points, and for that, I will give credit… for all the good it will do you.” She explained. Jack bit his lip.

 

_ A card that makes it impossible to destroy the Monster via battle… I either have to convince her to send it to the Graveyard, or find another way to destroy Twintania. I doubt I can simply goad her into sacrificing it… which means I need to find a way to get rid of Twintania with an effect! Either that, or get rid of that damn Node! _

 

“Actually being forced to  _ think _ , are we?”

 

Jack took a deep breath. Just another insult to goad him into giving her Chaos Energy to feed upon. He wasn’t going to fall for it. 

 

“Spell Card, activate! Pot of the Crimson Devil Dragon!”

 

A pot that resembled Red Daemon’s Dragon appeared on the field. 

 

“With its effect, if I control a ‘Red Daemon’s Dragon’, I can draw two cards!”

 

Jack took two cards, and the pot vanished. Corvus rolled her eyes.

 

“Draw as many cards as you like, for all I care. It changes  _ naught. _ ”

 

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that! Spell Card, activate! Cyclone!”

 

A raging tornado appeared, and destroyed Corvus’ Defense Node.

 

“A basic card and a basic tactic. It will avail you  _ naught  _ against me.”

 

“Even the most basic of tactics can change everything! I’ll set two cards, and end my turn!”

 

The two cards set materialized, and Corvus then drew a card. She smirked.

 

“Because we are still here, in Azys Lla, I can now introduce you to a few more marvels of Allag. Say hello to Iksalion, a beast I can Special Summon from the Fractal Continuum!”

 

A humanoid bird-creature appeared, screeching. She then pulled another card.

 

“And now, it is time for another Node-Scouting Node!” 

 

A different black Node appeared. Crow bit his lip.

 

“Here she goes again-a second Synchro!”

 

She smirked at Crow, before turning back to Jack. The Scouting Node turned into two Synchro Rings, and the Iksalion turned into four spheres of light.

 

_ “Fourfold master of the blade, awaken and be born yet again from light! Appear now, High Allagan Mecha-Phantom Ray!” _

 

A four-armed humanoid appeared, wielding a blade in each hand. Jack was instantly confused-the creature only had 2500 ATK. Why would she summon it when Jack had Red Daemon’s Dragon out on the field, with 3000 ATK-

 

“Kiss your dragon goodbye! Blade Cyclone!”

 

Much to Jack’s surprise, Phantom Ray came over to his side of the field, spinning around upon arrival and destroying all of his cards.. And when they exploded, each one left a shard that embedded itself into Jack’s body. He cried out in pain, and stared as blood trickled down from one that had embedded itself into his left arm.

 

“Did I forget to mention I have the ability to make the damage  _ more  _ than just some technological illusion? I apologize. I have that ability… as well as  _ many,  _ **_many_ ** _ more. _ ” She told him, mocking-empathy in her tone. She then smirked.

 

“Oh, and for each card he destroys with his blades… you lose 300 Life Points. Given that you had three cards on the field… Well, I  _ assume  _ you can perform basic math.” 

 

**_Jack Atlas Life Points: 3100_ **

**_Corvus Rubea Life Points: 3800_ **

 

“Now, fortunately for you, Phantom Ray can’t attack on the same turn when it uses its effect. But nothing will stop Twintania!”

 

Said dragon roared, and reared her head back. 

 

“Crush him!  **_Death Sentence!”_ **

 

She unleashed a powerful burst in Jack’s direction, the King only barely dodging the assault. Rua bit his lip as the dragon cut Jack’s Life Points down to almost nothing.

 

**_Jack Atlas Life Points: 300_ **

**_Corvus Rubea Life Points: 3800_ **

 

Jack stared for a moment at the gaping crater left behind by Twintania’s massive attack. The dragon came to rest at her mistress’ side. Corvus chuckled.

 

“Oh, what a precarious situation you’re in,  _ King!  _ Life Points almost non-existent, no cards on your side of the field, and two powerful Monsters on your opponent’s side of the field! Whatever shall you  _ do? _ ” She taunted, making dramatic, mocking gestures. Jack growled-he’d be damned if she wasn’t  _ good  _ at goading her opponents into feeding her…

 

“There isn’t much hope for you, Atlas… But still, you have one more turn. Show me your grandest finale! I set two cards face-down, and end my turn!”

 

The two cards appeared, and the wounded Duelist drew his card. He hated to admit it, and he would never do so out loud, but Corvus was right. He was down to 300 Life Points, while she still had most of hers. He had nothing on his field, while she had two Synchros and two set cards. But it wasn’t completely hopeless-he still had Life Points, and still had cards. He had an idea…

 

He looked at the card he drew, and smiled. Perfect, just what he needed.

 

“I activate Monster Reborn from my hand!” 

 

She rolled her eyes as Red Daemon’s Dragon returned to the field. 

 

“And now, because I control a Synchro Monster, I can Special Summon Create Resonator!”

 

The odd-looking Tuner appeared. 

 

“And I can also Normal Summon Attack Gainer from my hand!”

 

The humanoid appeared. Corvus folded her arms.

 

“Two Tuners… Does he have something up his sleeve after all?” She mused quietly. Both Tuners turned into Synchro Rings, and Red Daemon’s Dragon became the spheres of light. 

 

“The King and the Devil are as one! Bear witness to their creation-shaking power! Let the cries of creation itself be lifted!”

 

A surge of flame came forth, and Corvus looked up.

 

“Burning, raging soul-Scar-Red Nova Dragon!”

 

The fierce, raging dragon descended. She looked at the dragon.

 

“Hmm… so you have other monsters you favor  _ besides  _ Red Daemon’s Dragon…”

 

“For every Tuner Monster in the Graveyard, Scar-Red Nova gains 500 ATK! There are three Tuners in the Graveyard, so he gains 1500 ATK!”

 

_ Scar-Red Nova Dragon ATK: 3500->5000 ATK _

 

“Now, because of Attack Gainer’s effect, I can choose one of your Monsters, and lower its ATK by 300! I choose Phantom Ray!” 

 

_ Phantom Ray ATK: 2500->2200 ATK _

 

“And now, I attack Phantom Ray with Scar-Red Nova Dragon! Burning Soul!”

 

Scar-Red Nova Dragon enveloped itself in flames, and went for the blade-wielding Monster… only for a new Node to stop him in his tracks.

 

“What?!”

 

“Counter Trap, Monitoring Node! If you activate a card effect or declare an attack, I can negate it with the Node’s power!”

 

Jack hissed. Of  _ course  _ Corvus would not be purely destruction and brutal force. She’d have a means to stop her opponents from fighting back. Scar-Red Nova was forced back to resting at Jack’s side. 

 

“Fine… I set a card and end my turn!”


	6. Duelist of Light, Duelist of Jade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corvus' brutality continues, and then, we see that Viridis is no less skilled than the woman she serves. And things are no less complicated....

Corvus drew, and shrugged.

 

“I suppose there is not much else to do… I shall have Phantom Ray and Twintania take a knee, set another card, and end my turn.”

 

Aki and Crow looked confused, as did Jack.

 

_ She’s got a trick up her sleeve… She has to be hiding something in those set cards of hers!  _ Aki thought. Nonetheless, Jack drew.

 

“Scar-Red Nova Dragon, attack Twintania! Burning Soul!” 

 

Scar-Red Nova enveloped itself in flame, and pierced through Twintania. However, the moment Twintania was destroyed, a pale-skinned male figure with piercing black eyes and a staff appeared.

 

“You fell  _ right  _ into my trap. Doga’s Clone, when a Monster I control is destroyed, allows me to deal 500 Damage to my opponent’s Life Points!”

 

Aki, Crow, Rua, and Ruka all stared in horror as the man conjured a fireball, and sent it at Jack. He cried out in pain upon impact, and fell to the ground.

 

**_Jack Atlas Life Points: 0_ **

**** **_Corvus Rubea Life Points: WINNER_ **

 

**** “That’s one of you insolent pests down… Take him away to join the brats in testing!”

 

A small group of white-robed scientists picked up Jack, and hauled him away. Corvus then turned and faced Aki and Crow.

 

“Now… which one of you wants to be next?”

* * *

 

Yusei hissed, blood dripping down over his left eye. Blood dripped from his left arm, jacket and shirt shredded. Junk Warrior was out on his side of the field, and he had four cards set. Viridis, on the other hand, had a continuous Spell active, and three armor-clad Monsters on her side of the field-one feminine and in white, one man in red, and another man in black. 

 

**_Yusei Fudo Life Points: 1000_ **

**** **_Viridis Draconis Life Points: 3000_ **

 

“Lady Corvus has Allag at her command, and I have all of Garlemald at mine. Both are Empires, unstoppable in might. This may be your first loss in a long while, Fudo. Gaius, Livia, and Nero form an impressive combo, do they not?” Viridis taunted. Yusei shook his head.

 

“This whole Duel, you’ve just been taunting me and beating down on me, because you want me to get angry and frustrated. You want me to experience those emotions so Corvus can feed… because you don’t want your lifelong friend to starve to death.”

 

Viridis narrowed her gaze at Yusei.

 

“And what makes you think we’re  _ friends,  _ you  _ pathetic  _ creature?” She questioned, arms folded.

 

“Because I actually took a lot more when I hacked you guys.”

 

Viridis’ eyes turned from a narrow gaze to a furious glare.

 

“I know it all. Corvus used to be a sickly girl who could barely walk down a hallway without running out of breath. Nothing worked, and because she was so frail, no one wanted to be her friend… except you.”

 

Yusei paused for a moment.

 

“Your mother worked alongside Corvus’ mother, and your father had left before you were even born. Since she wanted to ensure your success, she didn’t spend money on hiring any sort of babysitter, instead saving it for you, so you could get a degree. But she couldn’t just leave you alone at home either, so you got brought to work. Because Corvus’ mother didn’t trust anyone else and her daughter needed to be monitored twenty-four/seven, she brought Corvus to work. And that’s where you two met-you were the only two kids in the whole facility.”

 

A furious aura began to surround Viridis.

 

“Mind your tongue,  _ Fudou…  _ or I will  _ cut it out. _ ”

 

“I’m not afraid of you!”

 

“Then I will teach you the meaning of fear!”

 

“You just don’t want to admit that I’m right!”

 

“You are a lowly  _ worm  _ who grew up in poverty, and just happened to rise to fame and glory because of a false god making you one of its six Champions!”

 

“We’re not talking about me here, Viridis! And I’m not done!”

 

Viridis growled-had she not been mid-Duel, she would have sliced his head off for his  _ insolence!  _

 

“You became Corvus’ only friend, and you two did everything together! You played, you laughed, you had good times together! And then, Dr. Rubea lost her sanity, and used Dalamud’s power to try and heal Corvus!”

 

“What do you care?! We are enemies! You do not care for the enemy-you  _ destroy  _ them or they destroy  _ you!  _ War is that simple at its core!”

 

“Izayoi and I started out as enemies, but now we’re friends!”

 

“Take your turn, you pretentious  _ brat!”  _

 

“When I’m done talking, I will!”

 

The air was as tense as a bowstring on the verge of snapping.

 

“Your mother realized what was happening, but she realized it too late. Dr. Rubea used Dalamud’s power to heal Corvus, and while it worked, Corvus went insane and became dependent on Chaos Energy to survive. Desperate to ensure you lived, your mother sent you off after Corvus, who had transformed into another form and flown away, begging you to save your friend and stop Meteorfall!”

 

“What is your point, brat?!”

 

“My  _ point  _ is that it isn’t hopeless! We can stop Corvus! But you’re afraid that she’ll kill you if you try, and even if you lived, she’d abandon you, and you’d be alone in the world all over again! So I want to end this Duel between us so we can go and stop Corvus-together! We can be friends, and together, with my friends, we can save Corvus from herself!”

 

Viridis snarled at Yusei.

 

“You naive fool! Your precious bonds are naught more than metaphysical, intangible  _ concepts  _ that have no proof to back them-”

 

“There  _ is  _ proof! I was able to save Aki from Divine’s control over her by forging a bond with her, and when a group of rogues kidnapped me, she worked with Crow and Jack to find me and return the favor! When I was feeling down after discovering a Dark Signer was a former friend of mine, my friends picked me back up again and encouraged me until I was able to go and face him, and stop him from destroying everything! We were able to make up, and together, we took back a town from a corrupt man who sought to use the citizens as slaves to mine out various valuables! My friends gave me their cards, and together, we forged a new strength that allowed me to defeat Z-ONE and save the world again! And those are just a few of the things that we all accomplished together, with the strength of our bonds driving us through until we succeeded!”

 

Viridis closed her eyes, and sighed.

 

“...If you  _ truly  _ believe that you and your friends can overcome milady… then you’ll have to go through me. If you can, then by all means, I won’t stop you from foolishly risking your life for such a  _ stupid  _ endeavour… just know that only one of us will be leaving this Duel with their freedom.”

 

Yusei’s eyes widened in horror as he looked up high to see the twins and Jack in containment cells, crying out in pain as they were tortured, being monitored by scientists.

 

“If you lose, you will be joining them. If  _ I  _ lose…  _ I  _ will be the one joining them. Milady does  _ not  _ tolerate failure.”

 

Viridis locked eyes with Yusei, face showing what she was about to say, and how it made her feel.

 

“So, what will it be, Fudou Yusei? Will it be you or me joining the other Signers in the tubes?”

 

Yusei looked down, and took a deep breath.

 

“...I have to defeat you… But I swear, if you do end up in there, I’ll save you too!”

 

He then pointed to one of his set cards.

 

“Continuous Trap, activate! Synchro Blast!” 

 

The card revealed itself, though seemingly nothing changed. 

 

“And now, by removing the A/D Changer in my Graveyard from play, I can force Gaius into Defense Position!” 

 

The odd little flag-waving Monster appeared, and forced the massive, black-clad man onto his knee. 

 

“Junk Warrior! Destroy Gaius! Scrap Fist!”

 

The mechanical warrior leapt forward, and punched Gaius with enough force to destroy him.

 

“And because Junk Warrior is a Synchro Monster, I get to use two cards’ effects! One is Synchro Blast-because he declared an attack, you take 500 Points of damage!’

 

Viridis shielded herself by raising her arm as Junk Warrior continued forward and punched her, denting her armor, before returning to Yusei’s side.

 

**_Yusei Fudo Life Points: 1000_ **

**_Viridis Draconis Life Points: 2500_ **

 

“Now, for the second card! Synchro Overlimit!”

 

Junk Warrior began to glow with a powerful aura.

 

“Because Junk Warrior destroyed Gaius via battle, he gets to attack again! Junk Warrior, take out Nero!”

 

The powered Warrior charged forward, and punched Nero in the head, taking him down.

 

**_Yusei Fudo Life Points: 1000_ **

**** **_Viridis Draconis Life Points: 2400_ **

 

**** “And Synchro Blast activates once again!”

 

Viridis raised her arm again as Junk Warrior struck her again, denting her armor further, before returning to Yusei’s side. 

 

**_Yusei Fudo Life Points: 1000_ **

**** **_Viridis Draconis Life Points: 1900_ **

 

**** The armored woman lowered her arm, and sighed loudly. She lowered her head.

 

“I can see how it is you fended off not one, but  _ two  _ threats to the world…. Sheer luck and and  _ contrivances. _ ”

 

Viridis smirked. She looked up, meeting Yusei’s confused eyes.

 

“Your tactics are as cheap and shallow as your words. You rely on being able to swarm the field with Synchro Materials, before Synchroing as quick as you can, and then relying on supporting said Synchros with anything and everything you can… even your own  _ life.  _ So, I’m curious…  _ why?  _ Why risk your life for mere  _ cards? _ ” She questioned, tone mocking. Yusei shook his head.

 

“Don’t try that with me. I  _ know  _ you care for your cards, and they care for you.”

 

“Again with your  _ assumptions… _ ”

 

“If you truly mistreated your cards, they would show signs of it. They’d be shaking in pain and fear. They’d be whimpering. But they’re not doing any of that. They’re standing tall in firm, listening to you. They  _ trust  _ you.” 

 

“Trust is  _ irrelevant. Useless.  _ **_Weak._ ** Here, within milady’s empire, strength and skill is all that matters. So, enough with your prattling! Either end your turn, or do something!”

 

Yusei bit his lip.


	7. Chained Wings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viridis continues her Duel with Yusei, and then, even more startling truths begin to rise to the surface...

“...You’re afraid on so many levels, Viridis.”

 

The glare of contempt from the armor-clad Duelist would normally be enough to reduce any man to nothing; to make him regret suchs words, but not Yusei… much to her annoyance. 

 

“You're afraid to losing your friend. You're afraid you won't be able to save her from this! You’re afraid for  _ your  _ own life! You’re afraid of all of these unknown things, and you  _ hate  _ yourself for feeling that way-”

 

**_“SILENCE!”_ **

 

Viridis slashed her katana through the air; sending a pulse of dark reddish-blackish energy towards Yusei, knocking him back and making him fall down. He panted for a few moments-that wasn’t like  _ anything  _ he’d felt before… it was not like Aki’s fury-driven Direct Attacks, or like the Dark Signers’ powers-those were based in Duel Monsters, but that sword slash wasn’t. No, that was  _ all  _ Viridis…. Viridis’ raw fury, unbridled hatred, and hidden fear, combining with what could only have been a shred of her own power. He had already gleamed she had some sort of power like Aki’s, given his bleeding wounds, but that slash from her katana was beyond anything he’d ever seen. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, before forcing himself back onto his feet. 

 

“...I’ll set two cards, and end my turn.” He said calmly. Viridis’ smirk returned, and she drew, before looking back up towards Yusei.

 

“I will admit, you do seem to have  _ some  _ semblance of a brain-you took out two of my Synchro Monsters. However, I’ve only introduced you to the XIVth Legion… perhaps it’s time I introduce you to the VIth Legion.” 

 

Yusei knew what that meant-a new Synchro was likely on its way. 

 

“To start, allow me to show you another piece of Garlemald. One of the VIth Legion’s very own gunships!”

 

She activated a Spell Card, and a large, black metal ship appeared. 

 

“I don’t think I need to tell you the  _ name  _ of this card… it’s very obviously  _ implied,  _ and you seem to have  _ some  _ ability to read subtext.” She told Yusei, mocking in tone, sneering. 

 

“Yeah, I’m guessing it’s called ‘VIth Legion Gunship’ or something like that. I guess it’s also probably here to stay unless I destroy it, and I imagine it can hit me for some Damage. Looks big enough to hold some troops too, so I guess you can summon some lower-level Monsters from it.” He guessed.

 

“Well  _ done! _ ” She said, mocking in her praise. _ “ _ You are correct-it can do both. But in this moment, I will choose the former effect.”

 

The gunship took aim at Yusei, and fired. He hissed as he took the blast from the large cannon.

 

**_Yusei Fudo: 500 Life Points_ **

**_Viridis Draconis: 1900 Life Points_ **

 

He gritted his teeth together. 500 Life Points. He could only hope that whatever came next wasn’t going to finish him-

 

“To me, Cohort Shadow!” 

 

A soldier flipped onto the field, wearing a uniform exactly like the dull, simple uniforms of the other “Cohort” Monsters he’d seen her use throughout the Duel. The twin-dagger-wielding soldier took up a stance, ready to attack. Viridis then smirked.

 

“Let it never be said that I am not a woman of my word…” She purred, look turning devious. The twin-dagger-wielding soldier leapt skywards, becoming a singular Synchro Ring. Livia then leapt up, and became seven stars.

 

 _“O ye king of serpents and guardian of the Emperor, descend from on high and deliver the Empire’s justice unto mine enemy! Show your boundless might and honor,_ **_Garlean Soldier-Regula van Hydrus, the Black Serpent!”_**

 

Another imposing, armor-clad man appeared, holding a two-handed gunblade. His armor was more bluish in color, and his helmet had a dark neon orange line in it. His helmet was detailed, with a circular shape above his head-perhaps meant to be like a snake eating its own tail.

 

“Now, end this! Attack that useless piece of walking scrap metal! Bastardbluss Strike!”

 

A powerful aura surrounded Regula as he took a single step back

 

_ Regula van Hydrus ATK: 3400 ----> 4400 _

 

“What?! Don’t tell me-!”

 

Viridis chuckled.

 

“One of Regula’s effects… when he attacks, he gains 1000 ATK!”

 

Regula charged forth, leapt up above Junk Warrior, and cleaved Junk Warrior in half. The mechanical warrior exploded violently, shrapnel embedding itself in Yusei’s arm.

 

**_Yusei Fudo: 0 Life Points_ **

**_Viridis Draconis: WINNER_ **

 

Viridis closed her eyes, pulled her Duel Disk off her arm, and holstered it alongside her katana. She turned her back to Yusei, shaking her head as he was dragged off by other grunts.

 

“Not even a savior of the world can hold a candle to the might of Garlemald or Allag.” She mused. The moment she was alone, a traitorous tear slid down her face. 

 

“Self-righteous bastard… you know  _ nothing  _ about what it takes for us to survive…” She muttered, hissing and venom layered in her tone. 

 

_ “Indeed. How is it that someone so  _ **_pathetically_ ** _ weak managed to save the world not once, but  _ **_twice?_ ** _ It defies all reason…” _

 

A  _ massive,  _ giant of a man manifested behind Viridis, wearing armor practically identical to hers, fitted for his massive form.

 

“Perhaps the Dark Signers and Yliaster were not the threat they were made out to be. Neo Domino City has always been a city of drama…” She mused. The Spirit hummed a bit, before leaning in close to her.

 

_ “I quite agree, my little beastie…”  _  He purred. She leaned back against him, chuckling-

 

_ “End this, Twintania! Attack Blackfeather Dragon!  _ **_Death Sentence!”_ **

 

The two turned to see Twintania blow the Signer Dragon to pieces, knocking Crow backwards. He was then dragged off, much like Yusei and Jack had been. All three were swiftly placed in their own test tubes, and soon were being subjected to constant electrical shocking.

 

“Now, all that’s left is the Black Rose-”

 

**_BOOM!_ **

 

_ “Aw, don’t tell me you were thinking of leaving us outta this?” _

 

Everyone turned sharply at the explosion, followed moments later by the taunt…

 

The sadistic Duelist looked towards the source of the sound, only to see three Duelists standing there...

 

“Huh? Who do you all think you are, barging into my castle like filthy savages?” 

 

“We’re Team Ragnarok. Normally, we wouldn’t come in uninvited, but we couldn’t help but notice the giant red moon coming down from the sky, and that it was being guided by a series of satellites that were receiving commands from this building…” Dragan trailed. Everyone else, save for the other members of Team Ragnarok, Corvus, and Viridis were all  _ mortified.  _

 

“If that were to happen-!” Aki trailed, before being cut off by Corvus  _ laughing.  _ Not just any laugh, but a  _ maniacal  _ laugh. Aki was furious at the sadistic Duelist...

 

“I think it’s past time we see who you  _ really  _ are underneath that helmet of yours! Black Rose Witch, knock it off her head!”

 

The small little witch manifested, and threw a small blast of energy right at the crown of Corvus’ helmet. It made impact, and the helmet flew off, landing multiple times across the ground with a series of metallic clinks. Harald’s eyes widened in horror, confusing his teammates and Aki, as Corvus stopped her laughter.

 

“You… who are you and what have you done with the real Corvus?!” He demanded. She once again began to laugh madly.

 

“You mean that weak little thing? Oh, she  _ died.  _ She died  _ years  _ ago.” She told them.

 

“Died…? Then… Then who and what the hell are you?!” Brave demanded. An evil chuckle passed from her lips.

 

“Me? I am the combination of the will of Dalamud, the White Raven, and what remained of that girl you call Corvus after she died.” She explained. 

 

“How  _ dare  _ you…” Harald growled. “The real Corvus would have never even  _ conceived  _ of the destruction that will result if Dalamud makes impact with the surface! How  _ dare  _ you assume her form and name for your own ends!” He added, furious still. Corvus shrugged.

 

“The original Corvus wouldn’t have conceived of much beyond finally escaping the prison that was her frail, pathetic body. That goal was also what drove her mother to be willing to forsake everything… at the cost of her own sanity and life.” 

 

Aki thought for a moment.

 

“But there’s something missing… the data says that Doctor Rubea tried and successfully  _ healed  _ Corvus using Dalamud’s power!” 

 

“Healed is a softening, a generalization. ‘Rebirth’ would be a more accurate description of what happened.”

 

“Re...birth?” Aki wondered softly.


	8. Madness Revealed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get even crazier and crazier for our heroes...

Corvus nodded.

 

“Yes, rebirth. The will of Dalamud reached out, and showed the desperate Doctor Rubea a way to save her  _ dearly beloved daughter.  _ Do you know what that way  _ was? _ ” She mockingly asked.

 

“Something tells me it wasn’t just ‘infect her with space energy and magically heal her’ like the records seem to imply…” Aki responded. Corvus laughed.

 

“Not at  _ all.  _ The process was far more…  _ involved  _ than that. Via a complex series of rituals, Corvus’ soul was ripped from her pathetic, frail, useless shell of a body. Then, a new body was crafted, made entirely of Chaos Energy, and the soul was inserted in the new body. But Corvus’ body was not the only aspect of her that was frail and weak… she was so  _ very  _ confused and scared, and with the first thing she saw in her new body being her mother’s mangled, broken  _ corpse… _ She couldn’t handle it. Thus, the will of Dalamud and the White Raven filled in the boundless deficits… and henceforth,  _ I  _ was born.” She explained.

 

“...You are no fool. You are only telling us this with the intention that we will never leave here… not alive, at least.” Harald concluded. The armored Duelist shrugged.

 

“I’d  _ hate  _ to have to kill you all… but when rats try to infest a place, what else is there to do but kill and dispose of their useless corpses?” She asked sarcastically, a sadistic, cruel grin crossing her face. 

 

“Like hell we’ll let you get away with any of that!” Brave vowed. Corvus simply  _ laughed  _ in turn _.  _

 

“And just how exactly do you plan on stopping me, hm? Think about it-not one, not two, but  _ three  _ of the legendary heroes of the world, the Signers, have been completely and utterly crushed by my iron will! What do you four think you can do?” She questioned, voice taunting and confident. 

 

“...I’ll deal with her! You all need to go on and stop Dalamud’s descent!” Aki told them. Brave looked at her as if she was insane, but Dragan tugged on his shoulder.

 

“We need to trust that she can handle Corvus long enough for us to stop Dalamud’s descent. Then we can focus on Corvus proper.” He whispered. Brave took one last look, but swallowed and went with his fellow Aesir-wielders. Viridis snarled, and gave chase to the men. Corvus chuckled at the sight.

 

“Draconis will take care of that lot… now, as for you, my little Rose…”

 

Corvus turned and faced Aki.

 

“It’s interesting, isn’t it? How alike we are, and yet, here we stand, as enemies… Fudou really is something else, I’ll admit… but alas, even his precious ‘bonds’ couldn’t save him…” She mused, with much emphasis placed on the last part of her words.

 

“...I won’t lie, I was once a lot like you. Cruel, sadistic, and undeniably merciless. Complete with being controlled and manipulated by something else-Divine’s false love for me, and Dalamud for you.”

 

Corvus narrowed her gaze, and snarled.

 

“How  _ dare  _ you imply my will is not my own-”

 

“-But I was able to change, and I know that, somewhere, in there, is the real Corvus! I’ll break her out from within your chains, and stop Dalamud’s descent!” Aki vowed. Corvus scoffed.

 

“I  _ was  _ going to spare you death and instead allow you to suffer alongside your precious, naive, preacher of a man, but you have dug your own grave, Izoyai Aki! I will burn you to ashes!” She roared.

 

“You’re the one who’s gonna lose, for once!” Aki insisted.

 

“Prove it!” Corvus snapped.

 

**_“DUEL!”_ **

* * *

 

“Alright, we made it! Now what?!” Brave wondered as Harald forcefully closed the door and activated an additional barrier.

 

“We don’t have a lot of time. The barrier will only keep Lady Draconis out for a short while.” Harald pointed out. 

 

“Then I say let’s go with the most practical route. Destroy the satellites. If they don’t exist, then they can’t give off the signal to call Dalamud down. If Dalamud doesn’t receive the signal…” Dragan trailed.

 

“Then it won’t fall out of the sky!” Brave finished. His Rune Eye lit up. “Let’s do this! Polar God Emperor Loki!” 

 

The creepy-looking Aesir appeared…

 

“Polar God Emperor Thor!” 

 

The muscle-bound Aesir followed, with Dragan’s Rune Eye manifesting…

 

“Polar God Sacred Emperor Odin!” 

 

The last of the trio appeared, with Harald’s own Eye, rounding them out. 

 

“Destroy the satellites! Stop Dalamud’s descent!” 

 

All three went to one of the satellites. Thor smashed his with his hammer, Loki blasted his with a bolt of magic, and Odin impaled the final one with his spear. They all exploded in a dramatic display of fire and shrapnel… but when everything faded…

 

“No way! We destroyed the satellites! Why is Dalamud still descending?!” Brave demanded. All three men turned to look, and were completely shocked, seeing a terrifying red aura around Corvus.

 

“Unbelievable… Corvus managed to turn  _ herself  _ into a living beacon for the lesser moon! So long as she stands, Dalamud will continue to fall!” Harald realized. Brave bit his lip.

 

“Then all we can do is hope Aki can beat Corvus…” He muttered.

* * *

 

Corvus had begun to laugh with utter insanity as the reddish aura overtook her. Already, things were looking bad for Aki-her field was empty save for a single set Card, and Corvus had a new, all-powerful monster… a woman that looked almost  _ identical  _ to her… as well as a new Node. The armored Duelist's laughter reached a fever pitch, and she turned her head skyward, raising her arms as if dramatically welcoming the falling red sphere.

**_“Corvus fortis ascendit,_ ** **_Superne videt praeteritum, Praesentem et futurum videt_ **

**_Res evertuntur repente, ad unum omnes sunt mortui dei…_ **

**_Machinae regnabunt in caelo, ratio regnabit in terra!_ **

**_Corvum candidum exhilaramus, ecce extendit trans mundi alas_ **

**_Vocat lucem rubram excidii, fulget luce rubrae victoriae_ **

**_Imperium! Imperium! Imperium ave! Ave imperium! Ave imperium!_ **

**_Videte! Testate adventu fati! Videte! Testate adventu Dalamud!”_ **

From the moment the odd chant began, the mystery Duel Monster began to mirror her master’s movements. Withdrawing into herself, with strange wings that almost seemed to be made of flame forming upon her back. Drawing the unholy power of Dalamud unto herself, before once again looking skyward, with cracks forming all over her face, made of bright light. Then, mere seconds after the cracks finished forming, she threw her arms wide open, the flame-wings shooting out and enveloping her in a sphere of relentless fire. Aki’s mark flared, as did the Aesir-wielders’ Rune Eyes, creating barriers to shield them from the powerful blast that resulted. The flaming sphere shattered at the end, unveiling something absolutely terrifying.

Still definitely female, but most of the silver armor had been forsaken for a dark purplish draconic hide. Golden armor provided some decency, but the hide was not the only draconic feature. Deadly talons on the hands and feet, a thick, long, whip-like tail, and the  _ massive  _ wings… and her terrifying transformation was complete with glowing red eyes. As the monster summoned her gunhalberd to her yet again, both transformed women turned their focus to Aki, the maddest grins upon their faces.

**_“Come, ye dull, unthinking beast! Bare your teeth before us! It will avail you naught in the Calamity to come!”_ ** They taunted in perfect tandem.


End file.
